Button.



PATENTED- AUG. 13, 190'7.

P. Pl PFLEGHVAR.

BUTTON. APPLICATION mam): smzmzsb 1905..

2 SHEETS-SHEET .1.

iI/IbesSEf P. P. PFLEGHAR.

BUTTON; APPLICATION FILED BEPT.28,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

517177225585: [III/ElI/bl':

UNITED STATES PATENT FETCE.

FRANK P. PFLEGHAR, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF F. P. PFLEGHAR & SON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed September 28, 1905. Serial No. 280,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. PFLEGHAR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a button and more particularly to a button for positively locking a curtain such, for example, as a leather or cloth curtain such as are commonly used in connection with vehicles.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of a curtain and the part to which it is fastened, the button being shown in front elevation as in use, Fig. 2 is a reverse view of the curtain showing the under or rear plate of the button, Fig. 3 is a section from front to rear in the plane of the line A-A of Fig. 1, showing the button in closed position on the stud, Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the button in open position ready to be removed from the stud, Fig. 5 is a face view of the stud and the part to which it is fixed, Fig. 6 is a rear face view of the front plate of the button showing the sliding locking plate in position thereon, Fig. 7 is a rear View of the front plate with the locking plate removed, Fig. 8 is a view of the intermediate plate or keeper, Fig. 9 is a front view of a modified form of button showing it in position for use on a curtain, Fig. 10 is a section of the same from front to rear in the plane of the line BB of Fig; 9, Fig. 11 is a section from front to rear in the plane of the line CC of Fig. 9, Fig. 12 is a rear view of the front plate showing the locking plate in position therein, the locking plate being shown in its position to release the stud, Fig. 13 is a similar view showing the locking plate in position to engage the stud, Fig. 14. is a rear view of the front plate showing the locking plate of modified form in position therein, and Fig. 15 is a rear view of the locking plate.

In all the forms represented a stud fixed to one part and provided with an undercut or shoulder is engaged by a locking plate which is forced toward and away from the stud inposition to engage or disengage the undercut or shoulder on the stud by means of a rotary handle provided with a cam for operating the locking plate.

In the form represented in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the locking plate is slid into and out of locking position by means of the cam as the handle is rotated, while in the form shown in Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive, the locking plate is rocked into and out of locking position.

Referring to Figs. 1 'to S inclusive, the stud with which the button cooperates is denoted by 1. It is provided with an extended base 2 by means of which it may be secured as, for instance, by screws 3 passing through its base, to a part 4 which may represent the body or frame of a vehicle or any other part to which the curtain is to be attached. The stud 1 is provided with an undercut 5 for the reception of the locking plate of the button.

The button consists of a rotating handle 6 having a dove-tailed or enlarged shank 7 which is received in an undercut or bevel-faced opening 8 in a front plate 9. The fit is such as to keep the button from outward displacement when the parts are assembled, while permitting it to turn in the front plate 9. The button 6 is tubular or provided with a central opening 10 for the reception of the stud 1, the intent being that the stud 1 shall have an easy sliding fit in the opening 10 within the button.

The front plate 9 is provided with a shallow recess 11 for the reception of a locking plate 12. The locking plate 12 is preferably of thin material such, for example, as thin steel or brass, and is provided with oppositely disposed slotted extensions 13, 14, for guiding it in its reciprocating movement. That portion of the locking plate 12 which rests on the bottom of the shallow recess 11 in the front plate 9, is provided with an opening 15 fitted to receive an eccentric projection 16 on the inner end of the handle 6 of the button. Immediately to the rear of the opening 15, the locking plate is provided with a lip 17 which projects over the face of the eccentric projection 16 on the handle of the button and which, when the locking plate is thrown in one direction, will engage the shoulder or undercut 5 on the stud 1.

Immediately to the rear of the front plate'll, there is a keeper plate 18 which is intended to fit snugly against the rear face of the front plate 11 around the marginal portion thereof and serves to house the locking plate between it and the front plate. Adjacent to the keeper plate 18 is a curtain 19 to which the button is held by means of a rear plate 20 on the opposite side of the curtain 19 from the keeper plate 18, the rear plate, intermediate plate and front plate being locked together and to the curtain by means of screws 21, 22, extending tln'ough the rear plate, the curtain, the intermediate plate and into the front plate.

In operation, when the handle is turned in the position shown in Fig. 4., the eccentric projection 16 thereon will by its engagement with the circular opening in the locking plate, throw the plate out of engagement with the stud 1, permitting the curtain with the button attached thereto, to be slipped off the end of the stud. When it is desired to lock the curtain to the stud, the button is slipped over the head of the stud into the position shown in Fig. 3 and a turn of the handle will, through the eccentric projection 16, slide the locking plate 12 in a direction to bring its lip 17 into engagement with the undercut or shoulder 5 on the stud, thereby securely locking the curtain to the stud.

The structure is so arranged that the fastening screws 21, 22, which lock theparts together and to the curtain, will pass through the slots in the projections 13, 14, on the locking plate and serve as guides for causing the locking plate to move in substantially a right line toward and away from the undercut or shoulder on the stud as the handle is turned. The relation of the wall 'of the opening 15 in the locking plate to the cam or eccentric projection 16 on the handle is such that while the cam 16 will swing through an arc of 180 as the handle is turned, it will not swing through the entire 360 but will jam soon after passing the limit of its 180 movement and will require a reverse movement of the handle to throw it through the arc of 180 in the opposite direction to operate the locking plate and will in turn jam when it has passed slightly beyond the 180 in that direction. This jamming of the eccentric and the locking plate is relied upon to hold the button in its locked or released adjustment against accidental displacement. It is a frictional lock and may be overcome by intentional pressure upon the handle in the proper direction to operate it.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive, the handle 23 is provided with an eccentric pin 24 projecting from its inner end and the locking plate 25 is'provided with a cam slot 26 for the reception of the pin 24, the effect of the rotary movement of the handle being to rock the plate on the fastening screw 22 as a pivot in a direction to bring the edge 27 of its central opening 28 into engagement with the undercut or shoulder on the stud 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 11. In this form a quarter revolution of the handle is SllfIlClOlllJ to lock and unlock the button, the cam slot 26 being made sufliciently long to permit this rocking movement to be continued a little beyond the 90 limit in each of two opposite directions for the purpose of locking the button against accidental displacement and to effect this, I provide the locking plate 25 with a spring tongue 29 the free end 30 of which is in a position to engage a boss 31 through which the fastening screw 21 passes, the said end 30, when in the position shown in Fig. 12, holding the locking plate in its full open position and when in the position shown in Fig. 13, holding the locking plate in its locked position. The spring tongue 29 may be formed by simply cutting a deep slot 32 in the plate near its margin as indicated.

In the form shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the locking plate 33 is rocked on one of the screws 21 or 22 as a fulcrum into and out of engagement with the stud l in a manner quite similar to that in which the plate 25 of the form Figs. 9 to 13 is rocked, the difference being that the cam slot 34 in the locking plate along which the eccentric pin 24 of the handle travels is so shaped as to require the turning of the button through an arc of 180 to rock the locking plate into and out of engagement with the stud instead of the arc of'90. In this form the pin 24 co-acts with the wall of the slot 34 to hold the button in its locked and released position, the inner Wall of the slot 34 being tapered to a point 35 at one end of the travel of the pin 24 and the outer wall of the said slot being tapered to a point 36 at the opposite end of the travel of the pin 24, the ends 35, 36, being so related to the end walls of the slot that they will spring partially past the pin 24 when it is at the limits of its movements and so produce a' frictional grip on it but will not spring far enough to prevent it from being forced past them under intentional pressure applied to the button.

The structure as hereinabove described is a simple and effective fastening and one which will not be liable to become loosened unintentionally.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A button comprising a suitable plate, a rotary handle mounted in the plate and provided with an eccentric, the said handle being provided with a stud receiving opening therein and a movable locking plate independent of the handle and under the control of the eccentric on the handle adapted to be moved partially across said stud receiving opening in the handle.

2. A button comprising a suitable plate, a rotary handle mounted in the plate and provided with an eccentric and with a stud receiving opening and a locking plate sur rounding the eccentric on the handle and under the control of the eccentric adapted to be moved partially across the stud receiving opening in the handle.

A button comprising a front plate provided with a recess on its under side, a locking plate resting in said recess in the front plate and movable therein, a rotary handle seated in the front plate and provided with an ec-- centric engaged with the locking plate and a keeper plate at the base of the front plate for holding the parts in position.

4-. A button comprising a front plate, an intermediate or keeper plate, a rear plate, a locking plate interposed between the front plate and keeper plate, a rotary handle seated in the front plate and provided with an eccentric in engagement with the locking plate, the said handle, keeper plate and rear plate being provided with a stud receiving opening therethrough, and means for securing the severalparts in assembled adjustment.

5. A button comprising a suitable plate, a rotary handle mounted in the plate and provided with a cam and a movable locking plate engaged by the handle for operating the plate. the relation between the handle and the plate being such that the plate will be frictionally locked to the handle at the limits of its rotary movement in opposite directions.

6. A button comprising a front plate, a locking plate ar ranged to reciprocate in a right line along the under side of the front plate and a rotary handle seated in the {rent plate and provided with a cam for operating the locking plate.

in testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of September 1905.

FRANK P. PFLEGHAR.

Witnesses FRANCES I. MARTIN,- Mlxn D. CONATY. 

